Imran-Kareena to play Cupid for Valentine’s Day

Actors Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor will play hosts to a Valentine’s Day Ball in the city on Sunday. Out of one lakh entries received through Facebook, Twitter, radio stations and the channel’s website, 15 single boys and girls have been shortlisted by the actors to participate in the closed-door party, which will be turned into a TV show to be aired thrice next week, starting from February 10.

“We chose Imran and Kareena for this exercise because they’re both in love (Imran married long-time girlfriend Avantika Malik last year, while Kareena is due to tie the knot with beau Saif Ali Khan) and understand relationships. When we discussed the idea with them, they also wanted to do something for single people who’re likely to spend Valentine’s Day alone,” says Shifa Maitra of UTV Stars. “We’ve restricted the number to 15. It’s impossible to find every single boy and girl their perfect match, but out of these few, both Imran and Kareena are sure they’ll be able to find at least one or two people a partner.”

Interviews have also been conducted with the last batch of participants, out of which 30 youngsters have been selected. “We’ve even planned a curtain-raiser where Imran and Kareena will open up about their respective love lives. Through our research, we’ve found couples who’ve had extraordinary love lives. They’ll be part of the episode too,” says Shifa.

The channel has organised a series of contests for the event, to be held in masquerade-style, along with activities like speed dating and compatibility tests. At the end of the Ball, the hosts will identify the most compatible couple and crown them The Valentine King and Queen.